The New Hampshire State Library has a number of special collections addressing the needs and interests of researchers, librarians, state legislators, and New Hampshire families. Below is a brief collection of each special collection...

The Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library was established to celebrate and promote reading, books, literacy, and the literary heritage of New Hampshire and to highlight the role that reading and libraries play in enriching the lives of the people of the Granite State.

Children's Historical Collection

The State Library maintains a collection of children's materials with a New Hampshire connection. The collection includes works by New Hampshire children's authors and illustrators as well as materials about New Hampshire. In addition, winners of the various New Hampshire book awards such as the Ladybug Picture Book Award, the Great Stone Face Award, and the Isinglass Award are included in this special collection.

With the exception of those materials whose age or condition makes them unsuitable for circulation, most of the titles in the Children's Historical Collection can be checked out to patrons directly or through interlibrary loan. To search the Children's Historical collection, enter search terms and select C - CHILDRENS HISTORICAL from the list of search limits on the state library catalog's Advanced Search page. To browse the entire collection, simply put an asterisk (*) in the subject field and select CHILDRENS HISTORICAL as a limit.

The Family Resource Connection (FRC) is a special library program and clearinghouse of information of the New Hampshire State Library. Its purpose is to collect and make available to New Hampshire residents current and useful information on all aspects of caring for, educating, and raising healthy children, especially young children with special needs.

The New Hampshire State Library houses approximately 2400 titles of published family histories for New Hampshire and New England. This collection is enhanced by the unique name index to early town records on microfilm (sometimes referred to as the "Sargent" Name Index). The town records, ranging in years for each town but falling roughly between the years 1640 to 1830/40, can provide birth and marriage dates, as well as listings of such items as tax inventories.

Other major resources available include:

- town and county histories
- annual town reports
- federal census records for NH (1790-1930)
- NH newspapers on microfilm
- genealogical columns of the "Boston Transcript"
- legislative biographies (1890 +)
- city and county directories
- military indexes to 1900

The State Depository Library Program was established in 1973 by the state legislature to ensure that the public has access to its Government's information. The New Hampshire State Library receives 25 copies of all state publications at no cost from the agencies as part of this program. The State Library distributes these copies to designated depository libraries throughout the state. Each library provides local, no-fee access to government information in all formats as part of the reference and information services provided to the public.

Federal Documents

The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its Government's information. The New Hampshire State Library receives government information at no cost from the Government Printing Office as part of this program. The library provides local, no-fee access to government information in all formats as part of the reference and information services provided to the public. government information in all formats in an impartial environment with professional assistance.

Library Information Services Professional Collection

The State Library maintains a collection of Library and Information Science (LIS) materials in all formats. An emphasis is placed on acquiring material on policy and procedure issues addressed in all service areas of public libraries.These materials are acquired to aid the New Hampshire library community to meet their responsibilities to operate their libraries according to accepted and best practices in traditional and technological environments. The collection includes a comprehensive collection of periodicals to supplement research in the field of library science.

To search the LIS collection, enter search terms and select C - LIBRARY SCIENCE
from the list of search limits on the state library catalog's Advanced Search page.

Talking Books exists to meet the reading needs and interests of New Hampshire residents who are physically unable to see, handle or process printed material comfortably. The program lends a wide variety of books and magazines, recorded by professional actors. Most of these are produced by the Library of Congress and a full catalog is available on-line. We also lend the equipment to play these books and magazines. Our collection also includes descriptive videos.

The New Hampshire Book Bag Program is a joint project of the New Hampshire State Library and the New Hampshire Humanities Council.. The Book Bag Program provides collections of literature to book discussion groups in New England (first preference is given to New Hampshire customers). Over 400 titles in quantities that vary from 10 to 100 copies are available through the program.

These sixty-one posters, printed between 1941 - 1946, are a sampling of more than 200 World War II posters printed by the federal government to help mobilize American home front opinion for the prodigious efforts of production demanded of a war fought on two fronts.

The posters have been in the collections of the New Hampshire State Library since they were printed. The posters came to the New Hampshire State Library because of its designation as a Federal Documents Depository Library. Founded in 1717, the State Library has been a Federal Documents Depository Library since the United States became a new nation. These posters were part of an exhibit titled "Unifying a Nation", which opened December 7, 2001, the sixtieth anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.